AdLit.org is a national multimedia project offering information and resources to the parents and educators of struggling adolescent readers and writers. AdLit.org is an educational initiative of WETA, the flagship public television and radio station in the nation's capital, and is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York and by the Ann B. and Thomas L. Friedman Family Foundation.

African-American History Month

AAHM Resources:

African-American History Month was the brainchild of Carter G. Woodson, and first began as a celebration of Negro History Week in February of 1926. The commemoration became more and more popular, and was eventually extended to encompass the entire month of February in 1976 becoming known as African-American History Month. All Americans are encouraged to participate in recognizing and celebrating the achievements and accomplishments of African-Americans, not just in February, but all year long.

Photo courtesy of Encyclopedia Britannica

African-American History Month Resources

Browse the rich online resources of the new National Museum of African American History & Culture located on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Learn about significant moments in African American history, culture, and community — as well as the people who helped shape this history.

Interested in African-American History? Visit the History Channel's Black History page.

Writing Resources

Griot Links

A griot is term that refers to a West African storyteller. They use oral tradition to pass down stories, songs, and history to the next generation.

Use oral tradition in your classroom! The StoryCorps Griot Project has many examples of current African-Americans telling their stories.

Toni Morrison, the first African-American woman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, weaves a griot-themed story into her acceptance speech.

Poetry Links

12 Poems to Read for Black History Month from the Academy of American Poets. You'll hear Pulitzer Prize winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks read her famous poem "We Real Cool" — one of the many poems she wrote about African American life in the city.